Of Gods and Monsters
by The White Prince
Summary: Life and Death have loved each other since time began. Life has gifted its creations to Death, and Death has kept them forever. They have loved nothing but one another until they bore a child, the only child of Life and Death, Danny Phantom. Now Life and Death will do anything, say anything, kill anything for their child's love.
1. Chapter 1

If Life and Death were to tell their story, it would begin with 'Once Upon a Time'. Children would gather eagerly around a homely elder, a soft-spoken grandmother, an outspoken and loud grandfather, an older sibling that pretended to hate their younger brother or sister despite the fact he or she had thrown more than their fair share of punches in their honor, and just listen to the tale of love in its purest form.

Of course, their story began long before 'Once Upon a Time' existed. Their story took place billions of years ago and their love has burned brightly ever since; two entities locked in an eternal dance.

Their love is often depicted as something evil, something vile. In fact their love is never shown as love, but hate. Pure, unadulterated hate. Patrons could feel their anger. Their utter loathing of one another through the generous brush strokes of artists past. Life was beautiful, so full of its title it practically radiances a warm and comforting glow of soft, light colors.

Life is an angel. A warrior. A champion that fights against Death and wins. Life over Death that is what the people want. The living want to pretend Life triumphs overall, when in fact it is Death.

Death, a gossamer white skeleton dressed in tattered robes and lost souls. It is the bane of Life's existence. It is the thing that destroys, obliterates, and rots the world away. Death is the villain of the story. It is a backstabber, a cheat, a coward against Life and all its grace.

But it is not true. The paintings, the writings, everything. No words can express what they share. No picture can capture their desire, their love. Nothing can describe the love Life and Death share with one another.

Every day they express their love for one another. They embrace the beauty the other creates with a wonder and awe that seems like it can never be repeated. But it has; time and time again does Life and Death do the impossible.

Their love is made of moonlight and tastes of fairy tales. Every second they fall further and further into one another's arms. One never wants to let go and the other knows the time will come when they have too. But they don't think of that. Instead the lovers gaze into each other, seeing the vast universe in nothing but their lover.

If Life and Death were to tell their story, it would be beautiful. It will take time, it will take patience, but Life and Death have an abundance of both. They are forever in love. They are eternally falling for the other. They will be the final Happily Ever After at the end of the world. Life and Death and nothing more.

But their story is a black void flecked with starlight. It is a dark fantasia that hides behind a glittering facade. Toxic love bubbles to surface as millennia passes between their kisses. It is obsessive and poisonous, but so pure. Oh, so pure. Their kisses drip of bliss and venom. Their love reeks of passion and pain. Life and Death are not enemies. They are not on opposite ends of some war that threatens to tear the world asunder. Life and Death circle and stalk one another. To them, they are the world. There is no Life without Death and there is no Death without Life.

And it all happened a long time ago, Once Upon a Time.

The Earth formed over 4.54 billion years ago. Life did not start at that moment, but it waited patiently, quietly, slowly gaining consciousness. When Life first come to, it watched in awe at the tiny, squirming organisms it had created. All they did was multiply and eat, but Life gazed at them with such adoration. They were its first creation and the pride of such a feat lasted forever after.

Life moved amongst its creatures alone. Even with their simple instincts, the creatures knew nothing outside of consumption and consummation. They could not understand Life's desires. They did not know how Life longed to reach out and touch her creations in a way that would make it…feel.

Then, one day, a figure approached Life. It was unlike the small creatures that were given life by Life itself. This figure held out one of the squirming creatures to Life, its body old and frail. Life gasped at the figure.

"Did you make this for me?" Death asked. There was no language for them to understand one another, but Life looked at Death for what could have been a thousand years before Life slid up Death. They had no bodies to feel one another's touch. They did not have eyes to gaze upon the other's beauty. But Life and Death had each other. Death had spoken to Life without language and Life responded.

"Yes."

The single squirming creature went still and its body fell back to Earth. However, that creature, that single creature still squirmed in Death. The entity reached out and felt that organism move inside it.

"I'll keep it forever." Death said to Life.

And that's how Life and Death fell in love. Everything Life created Death kept forever. Every living creature was a new gift to Death and the entity embraced with adoration.

As the world got older, as did Life and Death, the creatures Life created began to change as well. They grew and lost appendages. They developed complex nervous systems and habits. They hunted and feasted upon whatever they could. Death and Life watched the world evolve together, each day falling more and more into obsession and love.

Life and Death soon covered the globe. Life's gifts to Death were found in every ocean, on every continent, and Death kept every single one. They were a symbol of Life's love and Death was determined to keep every single thing it made.

When humanity evolved from those small creatures, Life and Death watched them interact, kiss, and love one another. The two entities did the same. Their kisses lasted millennia, their love making was bliss.

For billions of years Life and Death existed in toxic love, alone they stayed out of human eyes, for they had nothing to offer either of them. They were nothing, but a gift from one to the other. A symbol of love and nothing more. Life and Death were happy. They were content.

But, one day their love making produced something extraordinary, something neither of them thought possible. They watched as the impossible grew before them. It was three years old when Life and Death looked at one another, and vowed to take their child into their arms and create a new Happily Ever After just for him.

**A/N: So...I have no idea why this is here. I haven't written, or updated, a fanfic in so long, but I guess I just liked this idea. I'm not sure if any of you guys do though, so tell me. I promise, this is just the prologue. As always, review!**

**Review!**


	2. Chapter 2

Death was a girl when it met Life at the edge of Amity Park. Long blond hair cascaded down its shoulders and the flecks of glitter caught in the moon's light made it shine brighter then humanly possible. Its skin was a light tan, smooth as marble, with lips painted a bloody red.

Life was a boy when it turned to embrace Death. Ebony black hair nipped the back of its neck and smelled of morning dew. Its lips were painted a dark purple with two gleaming silver rings embedded in the flesh. When Life's piercing blue eyes meet Death's dark green ones, the pair fell into a warm kiss.

They had kissed millions of times since its invention, but every time their lips touch, to Death it feels like the very first time. The burning passion, the ravaging hunger, yearning for the other, wanting to feel every part of their lover. Death's tongue roamed Life's lip and they parted, allowing the muscle to explore every crevice it had already memorized long ago.

Life's hand drifted up and under Death's Britney Spears shirt and felt the taught muscles of its back. Life's nails raked its partner's back as it deepened the kiss. Death moaned and gathered Life in its arms it shifted its weight. The two of them fell into the grass, Death atop of Life. Its eyes drifted shut as Life's legs wrapped around Death's waist. Life's hips bucked and its hands fought against Death's t-shirt. Finally, Life grabbed the back of the shirt and, in feat of strength someone of its size shouldn't be able to do, tore the shirt of its back.

The warm night air bowled across Death's bared skin. It didn't wear a bra, which it was thankful for when Life broke their kiss to plant miniature versions around the tender area. Death leaned forward to suckle the flesh of Life's throat. Both entities moaned into the other as they tried to bury themselves within their partner. Teeth nicked Life's throat and it responded with a light bite onto Death's right nipple.

Pleasure boiled in Death's core as it released a low moan into the night. Its breasts retreated back into Death's body, Life's teeth still firmly clenched on to the nipple. The two rings in Life's lip sent a wave of goose flesh up Death's chest. Life's had slipped under the waistband of Death's jeans. Death felt the purple lips curl upwards in a smirk at what it found.

"So, we're gay today?" it teased. Instead of replying, Death resumed sucking on Life's throat. Its tongue licked along Life's elegant swan-like neck. It tasted of, what Death imagined, ambrosia tasted like. Dark purple and toxic green splotches bubbled to the surface of Life's flesh. The hickey's lead beneath Life's shirt, and Death took the hint. The tore off Life's shirt and tenderly kissed each discoloration as it appeared. The grass beneath Life's bare torso turned greener and sprouted flowers of beautiful red and white.

Life's hand clenched Death's member in its hand and began to stroke. Death moaned and took its lover's mouth. He groaned and moaned and bucked his hips with Life holding on, a loving smile gracing its lips.

"We should stop." Death said, breaking the kiss.

"We should." Life agreed.

But neither of them did. Instead Death rolled onto his back and reached beneath Life's waistband. The two melded with one another, pleasure erupting in their every being. Ripples of pleasure exploded in Death's core as the grass and flowers beneath it's bare back withered and rotted away.

They had long since mastered the act of sex long ago. Life and Death could take any shape they wanted and the pair enjoyed the types of reactions they could produce from the other. Groans of pleasure and pain echo in their past.

When they were done, the sun was just peaking out over the horizon. Death leaned on Life, its head fit perfectly in the space between Life's head and shoulder. Their fingers were curled around each other as the sun broke the sky apart in brilliant colors. Reds and yellows and oranges made the horizon an artist's muse. It was surreal to look out at what has existed for billions of years and still brings a sense of wonder to all who view it.

"Are you ready?" Death asked Life.

"Of course. Are you?"

"Of course."

Life and Death both knew they were hiding the truth. This was something they couldn't fathom. Meeting a child, their child no less.

Death sighed and leaned into Life. It had been so much simpler when it was just the two of them. They knew what roles to play and what to do, but their child was…unexpected to say the least.

Life was use to loss. It creates life that it knows will end someday. Death has felt no such loss, it has only gained. It's how the world works. Life gives and Death takes.

Their child was not of this world or at the very least no longer a part of it as he once was. Death could feel when he shifted from living to deceased. The familiar pang in its chest when a gift is given and Death is filled with warmth, but it's child does not last. Soon that pang and his warmth are gone and Death feels empty.

Life, on the other hand, had never had anything given to it before. The feeling when its son returns from the dead is an experience Life will forever cherish. It reminds Life, that buzzing in its chest, of Death. It is warm and inviting and safe, so safe. Life clings to that feeling and never wants it to let go.

Death's fingers intertwined with Life's as they got to their feet. With a light kiss to the lips, the pair disappeared into the dawn.

* * *

><p>Two hours and thirty-three minutes later, Danny Fenton accidentally threw his alarm clock out his open window. The shrieking alarm shouted all the way out the second story window, only to be silenced by the gritty concrete below.<p>

It wasn't that Danny intentionally threw his alarm clock out the window, by now it was merely a force of habit, but he knew Sam and Tucker were impatiently waiting for him to pick them up. With a groan, the teen threw his body out of the warmth of his bed and stalked over towards the window. His eyes were still crusted from sleep, but he saw enough gears and wires to know it wasn't salvageable.

"_Oh well. It was Jazz's anyways_." Danny thought. His late night patrols yielded three ghosts, all safely contained in the Fenton Thermos and thrown back to the Ghost Zone, but had unfortunately robbed him of a decent sleep, not that he would have had one if the Box Ghost hadn't escaped for the umpteenth time.

Danny rubbed the sleep from his eyes and drifted through his wall and into the bathroom at get ready for another long and unfulfilling day at school. As he stripped down and dove under the steaming spray of the shower, he gave thanks to whatever deity existed that his sleep was devoid of dreams.

It wasn't necessarily odd that Danny was thankful for a dreamless slumber. His dreams were echoes of his worst fears. The half ghost shivered despite the heat of the shower. Danny's arms wrapped around himself as his mind drifted back to his dreams.

They are filled with Gods and Monsters. Danny had fought his share of monsters in the past, but these Monsters weren't long forgotten kings or a murderous future. In fact his Monsters didn't fire so much as a ghost-ray. No, his Monsters were human. His Monsters smiled down at him with so much love and adoration. They whispered reassuring words as they separated his intestines from his body. They joked and laughed with him as they severed his toes and studied him beneath a microscope, molecule by molecule.

His Monsters are his parents, his sister, even his friends. Their words are filled with encouragement while his are filled with horror. His cries are met with good humor and his tears are brushed away by his mother, who instead leaves streaks of blood across his cheek. They tell him they're helping him, that they're trying to fix him and that everything will be okay.

Danny knows they're lying, but the Monsters don't.

He also dreams of Gods. They are unknown and vengeful. They shake the Earth to its center and wither life away. They are dark and whisper nothing to Danny. Instead they take Danny in their arms and hold him. They do not rebuild him and Danny feels nothing for these Gods, but they let the teen cry into their shapeless forms until he awakes, covered in cold sweat.

Danny quickly washed his body of last night's endeavors and shut off the water. He wrapped a fluffy white towel around his waist and let his body drip-dry as he brushed his teeth in the foggy mirror. He wiped away the moisture from the reflective glass and stared at his face for a moment before deciding not to shave. He unwrapped his towel from his waist and ran it through his hair, ridding the black mass of any excess water.

His phased back into his room and selected a pair of cherry red boxer-briefs off the floor that didn't smell too bad, a pair of jeans he wore two days ago, and a fresh white tank top with an unopened green plaid button down over it.

"Danny!" his mother called. "You're going to be late picking up Sam and Tucker. Hurry up."

"I'll be right down!" he shouted back. He fell to his knees and unplugged his phone before he shoved it deep into his pocket. Danny stood up, scooping his unopened backpack off his desk as he ran towards the door.

The teen bounded down the stairs two at a time as the scent of bacon and pancakes filled his nose. He ran into the kitchen, prepared to wrestle as many pancakes and bacon strips away from his father as possible before the man crushed him.

Jack Fenton's eyes narrowed as his son entered his domain. His burly hands fell in front of his plate, piled high with the fruit of his wife's labor. Danny gritted his teeth and squared his shoulder, ready for a fight.

"Don't even think about it, son," Jack said. "You snooze you lose."

For emphasis, Jack brought a handful of greasy bacon and buttery pancake into his gaping maw, chewing it with his mouth open. Father and son narrowed their eyes at one another and Danny took a tentative step into the battle zone.

"Boys, please," Maddie Fenton said. "This is a kitchen not a war zone."

Maddie placed a separate plate of bacon and pancakes for Danny across from his father in an attempt to diffuse the situation. Jack gaped at his wife; shocked she would hide food from him, but resumed shoveling food down his gullet. Danny smiled and sat down, tearing into his meal like a force of nature.

"Slow down, Danny," Maddie said. "You'll choke to death."

"_If only you knew."_ Danny thought to himself as his stomach dropped. His mother's comment brought familiar fragments of dreams better left forgotten to the surface. He pushed his remaining breakfist towards his father, who dove at it with a renewed vigor.

"I better pick up Sam and Tucker before we're late." Danny announced. His mother nodded and placed a light kiss on top of her son's head. The teen scooped up his backpack and keys before heading out to his car.

Jazz didn't need a car at college. Her roommate was more than willing to drive her around Harvard and the surrounding areas, so Danny was left in possession of her Jeep, which he and Tucker had painted black with white and green highlights _à la_ Danny Phantom, not that anyone outside their trio knew that.

The engine roared to life and Danny rocketed out of the Fenton's driveway and down the street to Tucker's house. He always picked up the techno-geek first and, like clockwork, the beret wearing teen was waiting on his front porch for his best friend. He opened the passenger seat door and slid easily into the seat throwing his backpack in the backseat.

"So you'll never guess what I heard last night." Tucker said as they pulled away from his house.

"Huh?"

"I totally heard someone having sex."

It wasn't something Danny was expecting and his head whipped to the right to stare at his best friend. Unfortunately, the Jeep began to drift into the wrong lane and Danny had to jerk the wheel to prevent him from becoming even deader than he already was.

"Weren't you supposed to be on patrol."

"I was dude. I was at the town line and I just heard these people moaning. It sounded like they were having a great time."

"Public sex. Do people have any decency anymore?"

"No, of course not. Decency died along with Michael Jackson and the Blackberry. Moment of silence for all three."

A moment passed with both teen's heads bowed before Danny picked up his head before he drifted into oncoming traffic or hit another fire hydrant again.

"You okay dude?" Tucker asked. "You seem really tired."

"I am. I put away three ghosts last night while you were PornHubbing it out."

"Hey, I resent that comment," Tucker said. "You've put way more than three ghosts away in a night, so why so tired."

"I don't know. The Box Ghost was getting pretty annoying with the Cardboard box of Carnage and the Jack-in-the-box of Juxtaposition gave me such a migraine I had to sit down and rest."

"That sucks dude."

"Yeah." Danny agreed. He briefly wondered his he should tell Tucker about the Gods and Monsters. He had always told his best friend everything, but he had already put enough shit on his friend's shoulders to last a life time. Both him and Sam have put up with so much because of him, he didn't want to unload some silly dreams on them.

When they pulled up to Sam's house, the Goth threw her worn-out purple spider backpack in the back and took her position behind Tucker. Her parents held back a chiffon curtain as they glared out at their daughter from a window. The Jeep had barley pulled away before she flipped the house off.

"So…how are you?" tucker asked, turning to look at Sam.

"Bite me," she said, crossing her arms over her chest. "In the jugular preferably, so I don't have to return to my parents."

"What happened?"

"They caught me sneaking in last night," Sam said. "They're convinced I'm a part of a satanic cult and am having unprotected sex with multiple partners."

"Satanic cults are so in right now." Tucker agreed, trying to lighten the Goth's mood. "These partners wouldn't happen to be highly attractive female alternative models would they?"

"Afraid not." Sam said a small smile on her lips. The Goth's violet eyes drifted away from Tucker and to Danny, who was white knuckling the steering wheel.

"Danny?" Sam asked. "Are you okay?"

He wanted to tell her no. He wanted to fold into her arms and spill his heart out to the Goth. He wanted her to know about the Monsters in his dreams and the Gods that save him. He wanted her to know the guilt, the shame he feels to lying to his parents and keeping his friends out all night. Tears pricked his vision, but he fought them down. He couldn't burden them anymore.

"Box Ghost." Tucker answered as they pulled up to Casper High. "He's being annoying as ever."

"Ugh, I'm sorry." Sam said as Danny parked. The three seniors grabbed their stuff and rushed inside the school, having no time to stop at their lockers. The three had barley slipped into their seats, ignoring the leering stares of their peers, before the bell rang.

Danny rummaged around his backpack for his unfinished English assignment and a pencil when Mr. Lancer cleared his throat.

"Class, we have two new students joining Casper High today." He said. Danny looked up from his backpack and his breath caught in his throat.

The half-ghost was at peace with his sexuality. He liked girls. He kissed girls, the one exception being the time Sam had dared him and Tucker to make out during a game of Truth or Dare he tries not to think about. But looking at the two boys at the front of the class the only thought that came to mind was.

"_Damn!"_

They were both attractive. One looked like a Goth like San, he probably would have put money of the fact they were wearing the same shade of lipstick if he had any money so to speak. The other one, a blond his hair tied back in a low ponytail, tapped the other and the two turned their heads and caught Danny's eye. For a moment, enough time to mourn Michael Jackson, human decency, and the Blackberry, it seemed as if time slowed. The three boys just stared at each other. Danny's heart beat faster in his chest and he could swear he felt it stop just before they turned to look back at the rest of the classroom and, eventually, to each other.

'This is Vita —" Mr. Lancer paused and looked from his attendance sheet, to the Goth, and to the blond. "I'm sorry, but it appears that your last name isn't on out attendance sheet Mr. Vita."

It was odd. Danny knew Mr. Lancer had said Vita, but that's now what he brain said. He looked at the Goth again, trying to understand why Vita translated to Life. Mr. Lancer glanced down at his sheet again.

"Yours either, Mr. Mortem." Mr. Lancer cleared his throat and stood up.

'Please, it's just Vita And Motem," The Goth said. "We're, what do you call it, gender neutral."

Danny felt the entire class perk up at the word. He cast a nervous glance at Dash, who cracked his knuckles at the new boys.

"Yeah," the blond, Mortem, said. "We're not really guys, but we're not girls either."

Mr. Lancer nodded, completely unphased by the information.

"I see. Do you two have any preferred pronouns? Or would you just prefer to be called Vita and Mortem."

"Vita and Mortem are fine, but if you have too…we prefer 'it'." Mr. Lancer nodded again.

"I would like for you two to take your seats and for everyone to all take out your books and read the poem on page 394."

There was a rustle as the students dove into their backpacks to take out the require material. The only two empty desks were in the back of the classroom at the end of two separate rows. Danny watched as Mortem walked to his (its?) seat. Dash snickered as he stuck out a foot to trip the blond.

Danny sighed, pity swelling up in his chest for the two new…its. They were going to be eaten alive.

* * *

><p>Even with its mind a million miles away, Death saw Dash's foot coming from a mile away and couldn't fathom how someone could fall for such an obvious trap. The entity easily stepped over the appendage, its eyes never leaving Life's.<p>

They both slide into their seats, ignoring the stares of the other students, and instead attempted to peer out of their peripheral vision at their son.

It was surreal, almost like a memory long forgotten. He had grown in the past three years. Death could make out the toned muscles from underneath his shirt and the light scruff on his jaw. Sure, he wasn't drop-dead gorgeous, but he looked so strong, so confident. It broke Death's heart to know the truth.

Both Life and Death had watched Danny grow. With each passing day, their child grew stronger, faster, smarter. But, he sank deeper and deeper with each injury, with each close call. Life and Death longed to reach out and gather their child in their arms and whisper sweet nothings to the boy, but they had to wait.

The pair had seen families torn apart by secrets they weren't ready to know. They couldn't let that happen, not to their child, not on top of what he already has to endure. So, they waited. They watched. And now, here they are.

Life's eyes had drifted back from Danny to Death. He looked like his parents, his human parents. It sighed and turned to look at Death. The two entities smiled at one other and Death blew it a kiss, which Life caught and tucked away in its pocket for later. It was ironic. Life keeping something. It never kept anything, no matter how hard it tried too.

It was twenty minutes and an angry phone call to the main office before Mr. Lancer stood up and announced he would be back shortly. In hindsight, Life and Death knew their exemption of last names would get them noticed, but no matter how hard they tried, nothing in any dead language could be subtle enough for Danny to understand. Their aliases were practically a billboard announcing who they were to their child already.

The moment the door closed, Death sprung out of its seat as Dash shouted: "Looks like the Goth Geek might finally get a boyfriend."

Life cocked its head to one side, looking from Sam to Dash. "I'm not a boy though and I doubt Sam would be interested in me."

"Plus you're already taken." Death said, planting a kiss on Life's lips. A few guys made a fake gagging noise, but Sam shouted "Right on! Fight the mainstream!"

"That's disgusting," Paulina muttered. "Why don't you two go back to whatever faggot factory you came from? And, while you're at it, why not take the loser club with you."

Death kept every gift Life gave it. However, both Life and Death knew not every gift was a good one. Regardless, Death took everything Life gave to it with a gentle grace and a small smile. Of course, it took the soul, not the mind.

Life and Death do not love the living or the dead. They love each other and nothing more. That is, until Danny.

"I'd love to Paulina," Death said. "Unfortunately, we aren't a bundle of sticks nor are we gay men. And even if we were, I doubt we'd be a slur that lost its meaning after a _South Park_ episode."

"If you're not men, then what are you? Freaks?" Paulina guessed, her heavily eyeshadowed eyes fluttered innocently. Life and Death looked at each other and shrugged. For a brief moment, Life wondered if Paulina asked herself how Death knew her name.

"I assume we're the people who can wear anything we want and still look as twice as beautiful as you, Paulina." Life answered.

"Or at least one of us can." Death muttered, planting a kiss on Life's temple as the room snickered at Paulina's expense. The Latina blushed furiously and shot Dash a look, before glaring daggers at Sam, who had fallen out of her chair clutching her stomach.

"Who do you think you are?" Dash demanded, standing up. Death sat on Life's desks and snaked an arm around its shoulders.

"I'm Mortem." Death said, drawing out every letter.

"I'm Vita." Life said, drawing out everything it said as Death had. "I hope we're talking slowly enough for you to understand."

Dash's face turned as red as his Varsity jacket and Death swiftly gave Life a quick kiss before returning to its seat moments before the door opened and a grumbling Mr. Lancer waltzed it.

"Vita and Mortem. The principal would like to see you two."

Life and Death nodded and gathered their things before their fingers intertwined as they walked out the door, gazing at the other.

"Ah, young love." Mr. Lancer mused as the door closed behind them.

"It's okay, love" Death said. "I'll come for Paulina's popularity soon enough."

"Don't worry about it." Life said, its hand drifting up the back of Death's shirt. "I want to know what we're going to do about Danny."

"We wait." Death said. "We'll tell him who we are when the time's right."

"When we tell him, how do you think he'll take it?"

Death sighed. "I don't know. All I want to do is meet him. I want to hold my child in my arms and tell him it everything's going to be alright. We're parents right? We're suppose to do that?"

Death had no experience in this line of expertise. It had never needed to care for anything; it was always taken care of. Maybe it thought it was overreacting, but Life placed its head on Death's shoulder.

"It's okay. I want him in my arms too, but patience is the key. We'll tell him when he's ready." Life cooed.

**A/N: Wow. The response from just the Prologue was AMAZING. I seriously love all you guys. I hope you like the first official chapter. Tell me what you think and review, it gives me much needed motivation.**

**Review!**


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